Love Lift Me
by incoherent.melodies
Summary: Craig and Ashley are 28 and finally engaged. But as they try to start a family, a lot of trouble comes up, and who knows if they can handle it. CrAsh fic to the maximum. UPDATED 07.13.08
1. Chapter I

**You guys are too nice...my story sucks! This is a chapter to redeem myself after that pitiful _thing._**

**Love Lift Me from Amanda Marshall**

**Disclaimer: Do not own Degrassi.**

He walked out of the studio, still smelling like the used instruments and Leo's coffee. He picked up his cellphone and listened to Ashley's message again as he drove to The Dot.

_"Hi Craig. It's me Ashley, unless you already knew that. Umm...yeah. Anyway, are we still on for Batôn Rouge today? I'm sort of waiting for school to end so I can leave, being a music teacher can be soooo stressful...what was I talking about? Oh yeah. Please just be there and don't let me look like a loner all by myself. Love you."_

Ashley and him had been seriously dating for a while now. Ever since they went on tour together for the first time to be exact. He was still a singer and Ash was a music teacher at a prestigious school. They lived in an apartment together for about a few years now. Everything should be perfect right? Wrong. Two people caused a lot of problems in their relationship:

Jimmy and Manny

Jimmy was very spiteful, very out of character of him. He would snicker behind their backs at stores and tell clever jokes that had no comeback.

Manny was the opposite. She was never mean, or rude, but she was always there. It got to a point when Ashley told her to get out of her apartment one day. She knew Craig was hers, but she never left them alone.

"Hey Craig!" she smiled. He kissed her and sat down at the restaurant.

"So..."

"Craig, you're the one who invited me here. There must have been a reason..." she said exaggerating the word 'reason'.

"Uhh...yeah...I think we should talk..." she threw a napkin at his head.

"About what?"

"Are you trying to get me to admit something?"

"No...is that a box in your pocket?" she asked, practically pouncing on his jacket pocket. He knew why.

Ashley wanted him to propose. He knew he should do it soon because they've been in love forever, but he wanted to surprise her. Catch her off guard and what not.

He pulled her off of his jacket and sat her down.

"Ash, I know what you want, but can you please be patient? Your mom just got used to me being your _boyfriend_ and-"

"Yeah, okay Craig. I'll wait forever for you!" She calmed down and flipped through her menu.

"What are you getting?" Craig snatched her menu from her and flipped through. "Hey!"

"I'll have gravy and steak. What do you want babe?" he said handing her the menu back. She stuck her tongue out at him and flipped through the pages.

"Wow, there is so much to choose from! There's lobster and steak and vegetarian hotdogs!"

"Don't tell me you are turning into Emma!" he laughed. She tossed the menu at him and smiled cheekily.

"I'll have steak too. No gravy." The waiter came.

"What will you two be getting?" Craig ordered their food and turned to Ashley.

"What's your favourite colour?"

"Craig, isn't that an immature question?" He took her hand, rubbing a velvet box in his other hand.

"Just tell me." She rubbed her other hand on his.

"Okay. It's green," she replied. He pulled something out of his pocket.

"Then I got it right than," he pulled out a box flashing a beautiful green pear-shaped ring.

"Ash, we've been like, togther for a while now. I was wondering if you would like to spend the rest of your life with me?" Tears poured out of Ashley's eyes.

"Will you marry me?" He slipped the ring onto her hand and smiled.

"Will you?" She fiercefully wiped tears off her face.

"Ash, answer me!" he said, fighting back tears.

"Craig, of course I will. Yes!" They got up from the table and kissed eachother. He rubbed her hand and grinned like a child.

"So, _fiancé_, what do we do now?" he asked.

"We could start by eating the food we ordered!" she said as Craig realized as saw the food.

"Okay, _fiancé_!" He said excitedly sitting down.

"Craig, stop calling me that," she said playfully.

"Sorry, I'm just amazed you said yes!" he said.

"You really tricked me, Craig!" she said leaning over the table to kiss him, "I thought you would never propose!"

"Ugh! What do you take me for? I love you too much to not!" Craig replied rubbing her hand again.

"Sorry, but you pulled the Mom card and-"

"Do you really think I wouldn't propose to you because your mom?" he asked eating his steak.

"Well, I guess not," she responded. She turned down to her plate, still smiling at Craig.

**123456789**

"Why do we have to tell Ellie first? Aren't parents supposed to be first?" Craig said outside of Ellie's condo three days after the engagement, holding Ashley's hand.

"Do you really want to face my mom right now?" He knocked on Ellie's door and Sean opened it.

"After you my darling!" he said.

"Hey guys!"

"Hey Sean!" The three of them walked over to the living room and sat on the sofas.

"So what are you doing in _Ellie's_ condo?" Ashley asked nervily.

"Don't be saucy Kerwin! She invited _me_ over," he defended.

"Then where is she?" Craig yelled.

"She's at Chapters buying a cook book. She said she wants to learn how to make lasagne.," he said. Craig and Ashley laughed.

"Wait, you are serious?"

"Serious about what?" Ellie said walking into the condo. She indeed had a Chapters bag.

"Are you making lasagne?" Craig asked.

"How did you know?" she asked incredulously.

"Sean may have hinted..." Ashley said hugging her. Ellie took off her plaid pea coat and threw it on the couch.

"Am I feeding 4 today?" Sean, Ashley, and Craig nodded.

"Okay then." Ellie hugged her plastic bag to her chest and walked into the kitchen. Sean turned on the tv to Fashion Television.

_"I've always been interested in fashion, every since middle school,"_ Paige said. _"I've always been picky about what I wear and never wanted anyone wearing anything remotely close to it!" _

"Is that _Paige_ Paige?" Sean asked.

"It's kind of obvious. Have you ever seen anyone else that looks like her?"

"Well..." Sean replied sarcastically. Ashley through a pillow at him and he laughed.

"Why do you have fashion television? Don't you get to choose the channels for satellite?"

"Well," Ellie called from the kitchen, "My friend Shannon from the paper was here and is obsessed with fashion!" Sean, Ashley, and Craig turned their attention back to the television.

_"I have to thank my colleagues from Fashion television for inspiring me, my fiancé Spinner for always supporting me even when I had to leave, and Ellie and Marco for convincing me not to go back to university! Thanks guys!"_ Ashley looked down.

"What?" Craig asked hugging her.

"She didn't-"

_"And my other bestest friends Ashley and Hazel for being there during the hard times. Thanks!"_

"My problem is gone!" she said smiling. Sean turned off the tv.

"So, why did you guys come here?" Ashley and Craig grinned at each other.

"Well, we have some news..." Ashley started.

"We're getting married!" Craig cried out. Ellie ran from the kitchen and hugged Ashley.

"Oh my gosh Ashley! Congratulations! Can I see the ring?" Ashley flashed her ring in front of her.

"Aww! It's so cute! Sean, why don't you get me one?" Sean looked at her surprised.

"Uhh...Ellie," the fire alarm rang.

'Ahh!" she screamed, "My lasagne!" she screamed again. She sprinted into the kitchen and was engulfed by smoke.

"Ellie!" Sean yelled. He pulled here out of smoke and placed her on the couch.

"Get the fire extinguisher from the hall way!" Craig jumped up and brought it to Sean. After a lot of fighting, the fire was gone.

"Wow, I'm neever making lasagne again!" Ellie yelled, fanning herself.

"How about we order pizza?" Everyone agreed. After a few hours of eating, watching tv, and laughing about old times, Craig and Ashley left at around 11 o'clock.

"Craig, how about we go home?" she said climbing into his car.

"No, we have to tell your mom tonight," he said proudly.

"Craig, can't we do it tomorrow?" she whined.

"No. I can't wait," he said turning on the ignition.

"Craig..."

"Ashley, we have to do this. Like now, or I will seriously go mental!" Ashley slumped in her seat and stared out the window.

**Do you like it? Please review!**


	2. Chapter II

**Hey people! Please review my story! **

**BTW: I'm adding a side-plot including Jay and Manny, but you'll have to read to see what it is about. I may not add it every chapter, but I'll try.**

**Disclaimer: Do not own Degrassi**

Ashley tapped the window quietly as Craig drove to her mother's house. Craig noticed the silence and turned on the radio.

_Somebody told me  
Once in a lifetime  
Destiny finds you  
And blows you away  
Spins you in circles  
Pulls you in pieces  
Bleeds you like Jesus  
And goes on its way  
_

Craig quickly turned it off and side-glanced at Ashley.

"Ash, what's wrong?" She casually shrugged and continued tapping on the window.

"Seriously Ash. Are you scared of your mom? Are you scared of _us_? Because if you are, maybe we-"

"No Craig. It's just me worrying as always," she rubbed his shoulder, "And I definetly want us." Craig smiled and focused back onto the road. They sat happily for another 10 minutes before they arrived. Craig hopped out of the car and opened the door for Ashley. They slowly walked to the doorstep.

"Are you ready Ash?" Ashley staightened out her grey dress and sighed.

"I'm ready." Craig rang the door bell once, but there was no answer. He rang it again, and the same happened. He was about to knock on the door when Ashley grabbed his arm.

"She's obviously not here so let's go-" She was interrupted by her mother in a purple bath robe, her hair in rollers, and a toothbrush in her mouth.

"Ashley? Do you know what time it is? Is something wrong?"

"No, and hi Mrs. Kerwin. It definetly is not wrong! It is-"

"Is there a point to your speech?" she asked rudely. Craig looked to the floor as Ashley gave her mother a stern look. Mrs. Kerwin rolled her eyes and let them. Craig and Ashley sat nervously on the couch, playing with each other's hands. Mrs. Kerwin glanced at her clock and sighed.

"Is there a reason you're at my house at 11:45pm?"

"Well, Craig and I have an announcement Mom," she replied, hiding her ring behind her back. Her mom continued brushing her teeth.

"Ash and I are getting married!" Craig yelled. Kate spat out her toothpaste and immediately called Jeff down.

"What is it Kate?!" he said running to her side.

"Craig and Ashley are getting married!" she explained melodramatically.

"Oh really? Congrats!" he said hugging both of them.

"Jeff! Do you not see the emergency?!" she said helplessly.

"I don't see the drama Kate. Didn't you see this coming?" All three looked over at a hyperventilating Kate.

"Yeah mom, what is the emergency?" Ashley asked rudely. Kate calmed down and caught her breath.

"Sorry. I really don't see it, I guess it was just a shock hearing it for the _second_ time," she said sternly eyeing Craig.

"Come guys, let's get some water and discuss this _engagement_ concept," Jeff said as he and his wife walked over to the kitchen. Craig pulled Ashley to the corner of the room.

"See? It wasn't _that_ bad. I was expecting her to throw me out," he whispered rubbing her back.

"Yeah," she whispered back. They walked into the kitchen and talked for half and hour before they went home.

**123456789**

Manny sprinted as fast as her yellow flats could take her. She quickly unlocked her pink convertible and hopped in, almost breaking the ignition with her force.

"Manny! Come back! I'm sorry!" Jay called. "I'm sorry! I didn't mean to!" Manny wiped her tears off her face as she back out of the driveway. Jay ran to the window, trying to stop her, but she kept backing up.

"Manny!" he yelled. "Manny! Sorry! It just sorta happened!" Manny ran over his foot and drove off down the boulevard.

_'How could he?'_ she thought furiously, _'What have I ever done to him? I do everything for him!' _

After ten minutes of ranting, she stopped at a red light and thought for a second.

"Crap! I'm so stupid! I should have kicked him out, it's my house!" she yelled, turning into a white brick house with multiple plants in the driveway. She parked her car and stomped to door. She knocked loudly and stood angrily. She knocked again, and louder. Manny kept pounding until a frazzled Emma answered.

"What's your prob...oh hi Manny!" she said while a raging two-year-old was throwing a tantrum in her arms.

"He's done it again! How could he? After everything I did for him, he was just using me!" Manny ranted as she made her way to the living room.

"Well, Manny, you're not the only one with problems!" Emma shrieked as her daughter pulled her hair.

"Oh...sorry," she said softly, taking the toddler from her arms.

"Look Lilly, it's Aunty Manny!" Emma said, trying to get the toddler to smile. Lilly stopped crying and played with Manny's rings happily.

"Wow, thanks Manny. She likes you a lot better than me!" Emma joked. Manyn shifted Lilly to her other knee in order to face Emma.

"So Manny, why did you come here? It's like 10 o'clock," Emma asked.

"10 o'cluck!" Lilly repeated. Manny smiled and ruffled her curly brown hair.

"Well," Manny whispered. "I came here to let you hear a little phone message I got since I let Jay borrow my phone this afternoon."

_"Hey Jay, it's me, Alex,"_ Alex said angrily. _"I just came to tell you to stay away from me well...because I'm pregnant."_

Emma gasped, but Manny motioned her to continue listening.

_"Getting a girl high and then getting her pregnant is so like you Jay,"_ she said sarcastically, but with a hint of sadness.

_"I should have stuck to girls,"_ she muttered. _"Anyway, if you really care about me, you'll call, so bye."_

Emma looked stunned. "Wow Manny, well if you want to stay here for a while..."

"Sure Emma. I can't believe Jay did this! He's such a bi-"

"Manny, no swearing around Lilly," Emma said before taking Lilly into her arms. Manny stared crying again. "How could he hurt me like that?"

"Manny, guys are out to hurt us. Come on, we have a guest room," Manny said.

**PLEASE REVIEW MY STORY! BTW: Lilly's father is Chris Sharpe. I only paired Emma with Chris because Sean is with Ellie, Damien is crusty (seriously), I do not have the patience to create a new character at the moment, and they are semi-cute together. **


	3. Chapter III

**Thanks for the reviews and yeah, I have a few ideas for Manny, Craig, and Ashley (maniacal laugh). There is sorta a time shift thingy, so it's been three moths that Craig and Ashley have been engaged. Manny has been staying at Emma's for the same amount of time and Jay keeps trying to call her, but she doesn't answer. **

**BTW: This contains spoilers for **_**Ladies** **Night (sorry, I'm Canadian)**_**,** **so don't yell at me if I ruin some of it.**

**Disclaimer: Do not own Degrassi**

Ashley woke up, her face right next to Craig's, watching him peacefully until his eyes flew open from the alarm clock.

"What? Why are you staring at me?" he asked, half awake.

"Nothing, I'm just bothering you," she whispered poking his stomach.

"What are we doing today, fiance?"

"I don't know, what do you want to do?"

"Well, I was thinking we go out for lunch, just you and me," he said, wrapping his arms around her waist.

"And your fans? Craig, those girls are crazy! I don't want another broken finger," she replied as he rubbed her pinky.

"Yeah, that was kinda weird...but what if I take you to a place where no one will bother us?"

"Is there a place like that for a celebrity like you?"

"Yes, there's a restaurant in the studio, but only people that work there are allowed. And since they've seen me and you a thousand times..." he whispered.

"Okay, but just don't serenade me like you did at that other place," she said kissing him.

"No promises Ash."

**123456789**

Manny slowly walked down the wooden stairs of Emma's house, straightening out her Betty Boop pajamas. Emma was running around, her face covered in pancake batter, trying to catch little Lilly.

"She is quite a runner, eh?"

"Yeah, especially at bath time! What are you doing up so early? Don't actresses need their beauty sleep?" she caught Lilly and strapped her into her high seat.

"This actress is taking a short hiatus, way too stress," Emma nodded and flipped a pancake. "Jay called me again."

"Are you serious Manny? Why won't he leave you alone?"

"How am I supposed to know why guys do what they do?"

"It's sorta like the time he stole that ring from the jewelry store for you, only different..." she trailed off, serving the three of them pancakes. "But who keeps bricks outside a jewelry store anyway? They were asking to be stolen from."

"I wish I had stayed broken up with him, never taken him back because some people never change. I thought the Jay I had fallen in love with was back again, but he had another personality change," she replied, pouring maple syrup on her plate. "It would have saved me so much pain."

"Well, like I said in 10th grade, boys are only out to cause us pain and turn us against each other...or something like that," she laughed.

"Speaking of guys, where's Chris?" Manny asked, pouring maple syrup on Lilly's pancake.

"Daddy's on a trip trip!" Lilly yelled.

"Road trip," Emma corrected. "His demo is being used for that movie you're in, _Digging Deep_, for that scene where you are walking down the street, they want him! Isn't that amazing!?"

"But he's like a C-list rapper! I had never heard of him until you made me listen to his-" Emma threw a napkin at her face.

"Stop Manny! He's making his way up there, especially since his remake of _I'm Gonna Make You Love Me_ was in the movie _Silver Glass Shoe_," she declared proudly.

"I've never heard of that movie!" Manny laughed.

**123456789**

They casually walked into the studio, weaving through fans and random passers-by caught in the mayhem. Hand in hand, they walked over to the restaurant. Like he had said, it was very quiet and private.

"I must admit, when you said this place was private, I didn't believe you," she said, eyeing the awards consuming the walls.

"You should trust me more, Ash," he replied, squeezing her hand.

"But you're so damn impulsive..."

"But that's what makes me so irresistible..." Ashley punched his arm and he laughed. "...so what would you like?" he asked as they sat down at a table.

"I don't know...let me see the menu," she said looking up. She looked over to Craig, but something caught her eye at the door and her face froze.

"Ash, what is it?"

"Give me something to cover my face, quick!"

"Why?" she snatched as brochere from a petit woman's hands to cover her face, but it was too late.

"Kerwin! It's been a while," the man said in a thick british accent. The woman rudely took her brochure back and walked away.

"Hey you..." she whispered back.

"Who is that?" Craig mouthed.

"I'm Alistair, and Kerwin here is my ex."

**Nice cliffhanger, eh? Well, I just had to try this storyline, so PLEASE REVIEW MY STORY!**


	4. Chapter IV

**Howdy yall...Please read my other stories because you should (I'm a shameless self-promoter), you kow, unless you don't want to. Then I don't really care. **

**Just so you know, this is an extremely short chapter, but I had to put something up. It's been too long. **

**Disclaimer: Do not own Degrassi**

"Alistair? From England?"

"The one and only! Well, maybe not the only..." he trailed off. He randomly sat down at the table with them, specifically beside Ashley. Ashley sat awkwardly as Craig looked like he was about to spit on him as Alistair put his arm around her shoulder.

"Well, who are you?" Alistair asked.

"Craig Manning, Ashley's _fiance_," he added emphasis on fiance. Alistair looked incredulously at Ashley.

"You got engaged without me?"

"That doesn't really work out," she mumbled just below a whisper.

"Yeah it doesn't after our his'try, right?" he chuckled. Ashley turned all shades of pink.

"What kind of history Ash?" Craig remarked, intensely eyeing Ashley.

"Well-"

"Kerwin and I fought a lot, and it eventually didn't work." Ashley took a breath of relief and sat back in her chair.

"When we were dating, all she could talk about was Craig Craig Craig. Or, you you you. I eventually had to dump her, it was too much to handle," he took a deep breath for a dramatic effect.

"He dumped you?" Her face became as red as a tomato.

"May have been the worst mistake I've ever made," he smiled. Ashley shifted in her seat again and looked Craig in the eyes.

"So what are you doing here?" Craig asked. "_Hugging my fiance_..." he mumbled under his breath. Ashley heard and kicked him under the table, but Alistair was oblivious to all the tension.

"Well, I moved here about a year ago, and I've been working here in this studio to be exact, doing a few things."

"Why haven't I seen you? I'm here everyday," Craig asked.

"I...uhh...work after hours..." he stuttered. Craig rolled his eyes and took a sip of water. Alistair's phone vibrated. He read the text message and got up.

"Well, it's been nice chattin' with you two. Bye!" In a flash, he was gone.

"You've become quite the story teller Ash, he dumped you?"

"I just didn't want to seem that pathetic,"

"I could never think you're pathetic. And I'm here to mend your broken heart," he replied.

"I was never heartbroken."

**123456789**

"Manny, can you help me?"

"I'm opening my pores!"

"Lilly just vomitted on herself and I need you to make dinner!" she yelled back. Manny took the cucumbers off her eyes and sat up.

"Fine, fine. What do you want?"

"Just make mac and cheese or something. Doesn't matter,"

Manny strutted over to the kitchen in her pink bathrobe and opened the pantry.

"Mac and cheese, mac and cheese...found it!" she excitedly took out the box. She dumped all the contents into a pan and started mixing, then her phone rang.

"Hello?"

"Manny listen!" It was Jay.

"What do you want?"

"I'm sorry that I cheated on you, I just felt unloved because you were always working late on set,"

"Nice excuse," she muttered.

"I know, I'm a douche bag,"

"And it really sucks because you cheated on me with a lesbian. How is Alex anyway?"

"Doesn't matter, look outside,"

"Look outside where? You don't know where I am,"

"You're in Emma house, just come outside,"

"How do you know?"

"Sean was fixing Chris' tour car and he told him to drop it off at their house _blah blah blah_, just come outside,"

"Okay," she placed the phone down on the counter and walked over to the front door. She tightened her robe, just in case and opened the door to find...

**Please review my story!!**


	5. PreviewAN

Hey people. I don't mean to be **rude**, but if I **don't get enough reviews for this thing**, I might just leave it like this **forever** and you will never find out what's going to happen.

_This is a preview thing for stuff that's upcoming if I decide to continue._

**Disclaimer:** Do not own Degrassi

"I just want to know why he's here all the time,"

"I don't know,"

"Well, figure it out because I'm leaving."

**(Scene Change)**

"He's such a jerk! I hate him!"

"Want a drink?" Alistair asked slyly.

**(Scene Change)**

"Why are you here doing this Jay?"

"Because I love you Manny,"

"Yeah, like you love Alex and Amy!"

**(Scene Change)**

"I'm moving back in with him," Manny replies.

"You're not serious."

**(Scene Change)**

"We're sorry, but you've had a miscarriage,"

**(Scene Change)**

"Why can't you forgive me?"

"You think it's better because the baby is dead? You still hurt me Jay!"

"I'm sor-"

"Save it!" she cried before storming out.

**(Scene Change)**

"Craig, he's lying! I would never do that. I love you more than anything!"

"Then why were you at his house drunk?"

**(Scene change)**

"What happened?" He shakes Ellie furiously. "What wrong with her?"

"She's in a coma."

**(End commercial)**

_Do you like? Well, if you are interested, you better leave a review. If you hate it, please leave a review explaining to me why it was bad. _

_Thanks!_


End file.
